- Mercedes-Benz Museum offers free entry on May 17, 2026.
- Visitors can use Roarington driving simulators free on Level 0.
- Classics & Coffee runs as a G-Class Special that Sunday.
Mercedes-Benz is turning International Museum Day into a tidy excuse for a Stuttgart pilgrimage, with free admission to the Mercedes-Benz Museum on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
The offer covers the museum’s permanent exhibition, which traces 140 years of Mercedes-Benz innovation, from the earliest days of the motor car to its current electric models. The museum opened in May 2006, so this year’s event also lands during its 20th anniversary month.
Free entry, fast laps
There is more on offer than a quiet walk past polished classics. Visitors will also be able to use the Roarington driving simulators on Level 0 at no charge.
The high-end rigs let guests sample digital versions of famous Mercedes-Benz competition machinery on well-known circuits.
Options include the 300 SLR “722” at Monza, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gullwing” in Monaco and the AMG-Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evolution II DTM at the Norisring.
For the properly competitive, there is a neat target to chase. Racing drivers Bernd Mayländer, Bernd Schneider and Karl Wendlinger currently hold simulator lap records, meaning museum visitors can test themselves against some very serious virtual pace.
G-Class gets the spotlight
The museum’s Classics & Coffee event will also run on May 17 as a G-Class Special. The regular open-brand Sunday gathering will put Mercedes-Benz’s long-running off-roader centre stage, recognising a model line that has been around since 1979.
The G-Class theme starts a day earlier, too. On Saturday, May 16, Mercedes-Benz will host a pre-event featuring expert talks, an immersive VR experience, DJ music and selected food and drink options.
Watch the road closures
There is one practical catch. Because the Stuttgart Run is taking place on the same day, Mercedes-Benz says the museum and Classics & Coffee will only be accessible by car from 10am on May 17. Access will be via Martin-Schrenk-Weg. The museum itself still opens at 9am.
The Mercedes-Benz Museum usually operates Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 6pm, with the ticket desk closing at 5pm.
Mercedes-Benz has not disclosed whether bookings are required for the free simulator use. For anyone already near Stuttgart, though, free museum entry, a G-Class gathering and the chance to punt a virtual 300 SLR around Monza is a very decent Sunday plan.
